Chicken & Bean Burritos

With a new baby on the way, one of the things on my to do

 list was making freezer meals.  This recipe was from Martha 

Stewart.  We actually made them for dinner one night and 

then froze the rest.  Hubs has been taking them for lunch all

 month and said they are great reheated.  These took an hour 

to make and not only did we end up with a  healthy dinner,

 we ended up with 7 lunches too.  Overall, a great freezer

 recipe, our plan is to make these once a month. The only

 change we made was adding chicken to the burritos.  Enjoy!

  

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup rice (brown or white)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 jalapeno chile, chopped (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 bag frozen corn kernels (10 ounces)
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 8 burrito-size flour tortillas, 10 inches each
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Salsa and sour cream, optional

Directions

1. Cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onions, garlic, jalapeno, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. Add beans and 1 1/2 cups water; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in scallions.
4. Heat tortillas according to package instructions; fill with rice, bean mixture, and cheese.
5. Assemble: Mound 1/4 cup rice, 3/4 cup bean mixture, and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold sides, and hold them in. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.
6. Serve immediately, with salsa and sour cream, if using, or wrap per freezing instructions.

30th Birthday Gift for Him

August 1st was my husbands 30th birthday.  I wanted to throw him a big party but I was 38 weeks pregnant and wanted to keep our house clean before the baby arrives.  So, in order to make it a special birthday for him I decided to give him a present a day for 30 days leading up to his birthday.  I started shopping months ago for gifts.  Each morning (as long as I was awake) I gave him a gift with a note attached to it.  Each note started with "I love you because...".  I plan on making all the love notes into a book for him.  We ended the month of celebrations with a night out with his friends. I think hubs enjoyed his birthday month and all of his gifts.  But, I know his best present of all is going to be arriving this Friday, 10 days late.  

Happy 30th Love! 

The gifts were small and big. 

Gift Ideas: 

gift certificates (car wash, coffee, movies, i tunes)

polo shirt

ties

socks

phone armband

USF football gear

coffee cups & coffee (we'll have a newborn soon)

favorites (candy, gum, snacks, beer)

running shoes

Herbed Ricotta Pasta with Corn and Zucchini

This is a fabulously fresh summer pasta recipe.  I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did.  Next time, I may even add some squash to it.  The only recommendation I have is to sauté the zucchini before adding it to the pasta.  Enjoy!

Herbed Ricotta Pasta with Corn and Zucchini

Recipe Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living 

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper
• 3/4 pound short pasta, such as campanelle
• 1 3/4 cups corn kernels (from 2 ears)
• 1 cup ricotta
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1 cup chopped Zucchini 
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes less than package instructions; add corn and cook until tender, 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup pasta water, ricotta, and Parmesan. Add pasta mixture, zucchini, basil, and dill and toss to combine. Add more pasta water if necessary to create a light sauce that coats pasta. Season with salt and pepper and top with more basil and Parmesan

Classic Baked Ziti

I've made many ziti recipes over the years and I have to say this is my favorite by far.  I'm pretty sure it's because of the chicken stock added to the dish.  The pasta is so moist and full of flavor.  Enjoy!

Classic Baked Ziti

Recipe Courtesy of Budget Savvy Diva

Ingredients: 

1 lb lean ground beef

1 cup onion , chopped

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon of onion powder

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of pepper

2 garlic cloves , minced

1 (32 ounce) jar meatless sauce

1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 

1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta , cooked and drained

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven at 350

In a large skillet – heat oil and cook onions for 8 minutes than add garlic and cook for one minute. Add beef and cook till no longer pink ( drain excess fat). Stir in sauce, chicken broth, pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano. Heat through.

Stir 1 cup of sauce into the “cooked” ziti pasta.

Place 1/2 of the ziti into a 13×9 baking dish.

Place 1 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese

Top with rest of sauce.

Top with rest of pasta.

Cover and bake for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

Cook till cheese is golden brown

Oven Baked Fajitas

Thanks again to Pinterest, for another delicious recipe.  What I loved about this one is how quick it was.  Usually while making fajitas, I'm spending all of my time over the stove while the meat and veggies cook.  With this one, you just throw it in a casserole dish and then into the over.  I was pleasantly surprised when all the veggies and chicken came out cooked to perfection.  The leftovers were just as good.  Overall, a great meal that we will make again. 

Oven Baked Fajitas

Courtesy of Real Mom Kitchen

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced (I use half a green and half a red)
• 12 flour tortillas
• Toppings such as cheese, sour cream, and guacamole – if desired

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips in a greased 13×9 baking dish.
2. In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt
3. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.
4. Next add the tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine.
5. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve on tortillas with desired toppings.

Fudgy Brownie Cookies

If you're looking for a quick and easy dessert to bring to a party or even football tailgate, I would recommend this recipe.  I love brownies but this is a tasty twist on your basic brownies.  I brought these to a 4th of July party & they were a hit.  I did keep some at home and hubs and I enjoyed them for dessert the next week, making them into mini ice cream cookie sandwiches.  YUM!

Fudgy Brownie Cookies

Recipe Courtesy of Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 package (18 To 21 Oz. Box) Fudge Brownie Mix
• 1-¼ cup All-purpose Flour
• ¼ cups Packed Brown Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• ½ cups Butter, Melted And Cooled

• 2 Tablespoons Water, Or More As Needed
• 1 cup Dark Chocolate Chunks

Preparation Instructions

1. Whisk together brownie mix, flour, and sugar.
2.Using a heavy spoon, stir in the eggs one at a time, followed by butter and 2 tablespoons water. If the batter appears like there is too much flour, add 1 more tablespoon of water. Batter will be very thick.
3. Fold in chocolate chunks
4. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6. Grease a cookie sheet.
7. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough on the cookie sheet. You want pretty thick cookies here to get the brownie feel, about 3 inches apart. Press down slightly. Don’t flatten completely. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
8. Remove from oven, allow to cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.